THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Patricia Anne Bennett as Fleta in Iolanthe

Patricia Anne Bennett (1974-79)

Patricia Anne Bennett was known as Jackie Burnett when she joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company chorus in September 1974. After a season of chorus duty, she assumed the small roles of the First Bridesmaid in Trial by Jury, Isabel in The Pirates of Penzance, and Fleta in Iolanthe for the 1975-76 season, replacing Rosalind Griffiths who had left the Company. She also substituted on occasion for Barbara Lilley as Phyllis in Iolanthe.

She retained Isabel and Fleta throughout her tenure with the Company (Trial was dropped from the repertoire at the end of the 1975-76 season), and added Zorah in Ruddigore and Sacharissa in Princess Ida in 1977, and Kate in The Yeomen of the Guard in 1978. She had substituted in the latter role in the 1976-77 season. She also made occasional appearances between 1976 and 1979 as Patience in Patience, Phyllis in Iolanthe, and Gianetta and Casilda in The Gondoliers.

She married fellow D'Oyly Carter Patrick Wilkes in September 1978, and left the D'Oyly Carte in September 1979 following its tour of Australia and New Zealand.




Page modified October 28, 2013 © 2001-13 David Stone